Ikiryō Kuragari
| birthday = January 3 | age = 30 (Physical) 456 (Actual) | gender = Male | height = 184 cm (6'½") | weight = 80 kg (176 lb.) | blood type = A- | affiliation = Gotei 13 | previous affiliation = | profession = | position = Captain | previous position = Lieutenant | division = Second Division | previous division = | partner = Kurokawa Tadayoshi Motoko Kuragari | previous partner = Duo Wen Tian | base of operations = | relatives = Sadao Kuragari (Father) Motoko Kuragari (Wife) Amaya Kuragari (Daughter) | education = | shikai = Shi no Hōyō | bankai = Sonzai no Yūgure | story debut = Spectre of the Past: Dawn | roleplay debut = Dark War: Prelude | japanese voice = | english voice = }} '''Ikiryō Kuragari (暗がり生霊, "Gloomy Wraith") is a male and the Captain of the Second Division of Gotei 13. His Lieutenant is Motoko Kuragari, his wife. Appearance Kuragari is a tall half-Asian man ostensibly in his early 30s. He has a slender build and well-toned physique. His short jet black hair is straight and kept upright. In addition, he wears a permanent stubble. The colour of his eyes is an unusually light blue. The features of his face are somewhat sharp, with a noticeably pale complexion. There is a prominent, deep scar on the left side of his face. It severs his upper lip, goes upward through the cheek, splits the eyebrow and goes through forehead to end somewhere beyond the hair line. The origin of the scar is unknown, though he has had it before the outbreak of the Dark War. He wears a sleeveless and tight-fitting variant of the standard Shinigami uniform. His Captain's haori is also modified in the same manner. Personality Ikiryō is characterised by being a remarkably level-headed individual. No matter how dire the situation, he is usually able to maintain composure far better than many of his peers. Even in the rare instance of an emotional upheaval the lapses are most often brief and do not negatively affect his performance. Furthermore, he is not easily surprised. This ability to remain calm in the face of truly unexpected turns of events frequently allows him to act in a rational and efficient manner. In general, Kuragari is a grim, cynical and almost callous person. He often displays his sardonic attitude through snarky remarks. Whilst he interacts rather well with most of the other Gotei 13 officers, his extremely formal politeness only emphasises his reserved demeanour. Ostensibly solemn or snide at times, he does not appear particularly amiable at first glance. The more negative aspects of his personality become more prominent when he faces an enemy. Spiteful comments and provocative behaviour are as much expression of his nature as they are a ploy to encourage the opponent at hand to commit easy to exploit mistakes. In truth, Ikiryō is a signifcantly more friendly individual than he initially appears. Although he does not usually show this, he works as a Captain not only because of the sense of duty, but due to the genuine concern for his close ones, comrades, and the people of the Seireitei. He is on very good terms with childhood friends and fellow officers Haruka Mewokuramasu and Kurokawa Tadayoshi, with the latter being like a brother to him. During his temporary exile from the Seireitei, he has developed friendship with a fellow refugee Captain, Kaoru Shōki. Furthermore, the somewhat vitriolic relationship with his Lieutenant, Motoko Manihōrudo, has gradually evolved from strained and professional to something far more intimate, only to ultimately result in their marriage and then a daughter, Amaya Kuragari. It has been also revealed that he was on good terms with his former Captain and currently a Royal Guard member Duo Wen Tian, who used to treat him with somewhat excessive affection. History Ikiryō was born in a mid-rank noble family associated with House Mewokuramasu, one of the Four Noble Families. Since he was a single child, his father Sadao Kuragari intended him to one day become the next head of the family and take over his duties. However, Ikiryō decided to enlist to the against his wishes. Kuragari's determination and diligence were praised, but his somewhat pompous mannerisms used to be mocked by some of his peers. After extensive training and some preliminary missions, Ikiryō matured and changed significantly. Ultimately, he graduated from the Academy after full six-year period as one of the top students of his class. Subsequently, he was promptly recruited to the Second Division due to his aptitude for Hakuda, Hohō and infiltration. When he learnt his Shikai he moved up through the ranks at a rapid pace and became a high-ranking Seated Officer within a relatively short timespan. Eventually, he was promoted to the rank of the Division's Lieutenant. Some decades later he succeeded his Captain, Duo Wen Tian, after she had been promoted to the Royal Guard. He had kept that position since about 100 years by the time of the Dark War. Plot Powers and Abilities Trivia *His name means roughly "Gloomy Wraith". It sounds similar to Ichigo Kurosaki, but this is a pure coincidence. *His Bankai theme is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw3_sFOSKLk&hd=1 Bleach OST - Enemy Unseen (Violin)]. When teaming up with his best friend, Kurokawa Tadayoshi, their shared battle theme is HarmoNIZE from Soul Eater OST. *Zanpakutō abilities of this incarnation of the character have been altered in order to follow only the theme of "nothingness", without mixing it with "darkness". *In Japanese, he would refer to himself with 私 (watashi), a gender-neutral, polite pronoun which is normally used in formal contexts. However, in informal and casual situations it is perceived as being effeminate, one of the in-universe reasons some peers used to mock him back in the Shinō Academy. Appearances Bleach: Dark and Light The Dark War Arc *''Dark War: Prelude'' *''Dark War: Initiation'' *''Dark War: Escalation'' *''Dark War: Intensification'' *''Dark War: Culmination'' *''Dark War: Termination'' The Spectre of the Past Arc *''Spectre of the Past: Dawn'' *''Spectre of the Past: Morning'' *''Spectre of the Past: Noon'' *''Spectre of the Past: Zenith'' The Chiaroscuro Arc *''Chiaroscuro: Premonition'' *''Chiaroscuro: Trepidation'' *''Chiaroscuro: Complication'' *''Chiaroscuro: Aggravation'' *''Chiaroscuro: Retribution'' *''Chiaroscuro: Conclusion'' Battles References Category:2nd Division Category:Captain Category:Character Category:Expert Swordsmen Category:Fanon Character Category:Hakuda Masters Category:Kidō Experts Category:Male Category:Protagonists Category:Shinigami Category:Shunpo Masters Category:Visored